Social Influence, Power, and Multimodal Communication

Social Influence, Power, and Multimodal Communication explores how democratic leaders and dictators exploit multimodal communication to convince or seduce their audiences, using words, voice, gesture, face, gaze, and posture to boast about their merits or insult and ridicule rivals. Poggi and D Errico's sociocognitive model of social interaction reveals the rhetoric of words, hands, and faces, explaining how to see beyond their literal meanings, while experimental studies test their uses and persuasive effects.

Format: Hardback
Length: 284 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Social influence, power, and multimodal communication are intricate aspects of human interaction that play a significant role in shaping our perceptions and behaviors. This captivating book delves into the strategies employed by democratic leaders and dictators alike to captivate and persuade their audiences through the use of multimodal communication. Poggi and D Errico explore the concept of charisma and how it is perceived by followers, examining how politicians use dominance displays and discrediting tactics in TV debates and social media.

Drawing from a sociocognitive framework, the authors conduct observational studies to uncover the rhetoric of words, hands, and faces, revealing the deeper meanings and persuasive effects behind these nonverbal cues. Through experimental studies, they test the efficacy of multimodal communication in influencing others and undermining power through comments, insults, irony, ridicule, and parody.

The book sheds light on the devices of social influence and their multimodal management, providing readers with a comprehensive understanding of how people influence others through body language and verbal communication, whether intentionally or inadvertently. This insightful text is a valuable resource for students of psychology, communication, pragmatics, political sciences, educators, politicians, spin doctors, active citizenship workers, and anyone interested in comprehending the dynamics of communicative power in both political and everyday social contexts.

Weight: 700g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367465261